New online course aims to help students understand patent law

The University of California has announced the launch of a new online law course, which will begin in January.

College officials said that this course will provide students with a comprehensive plan on how to prepare, draft, file and prosecute patent applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The course is designed for paralegals, chief executive officers, chief technology officers, entrepreneurs, inventors, attorneys and professionals that manage the patent application process for a company.

“In such a competitive business environment, companies that are updated on the latest patent law details are the ones that have an upper hand and will succeed,” said Tom Pokladowski, program director of the school’s paralegal and legal programs.

The course aims at helping students learn the fundamentals of patent law, related issues in domestic and international sectors as well as strategies for preparing a response to a rejection from the PTO.

Paralegals who complete the course may become more attractive to employers in this industry, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects to increase by 28 over the next eight years.